A sudden power outage can be frustrating and costly, especially if it lasts for a long time. For businesses, every minute without power is damaging to a bottom line, while in medical settings no power can put lives at risk. Fortunately, if a power is lost, there are steps that can be taken to ensure any effects are minimal.
Hiring a Generator : You never know when a power outage will occur. If downtime is not an option for your business, a diesel generator will be essential in ensuring you power is restored immediately. Stand-by power solutions can be fitted with automatic mains failure equipment that will start diesel generator sets immediately after an outage is detected. Such solutions are worth having in place all year round, particularly if you are based in an area with high risk of flooding.
Know Your Building : In the event of a power outage, it is essential that you know how to locate the meter room and the location of your generators (if theseare not fitted with mains failure detection). You may need to do this in the dark, so make sure that portable lamps or torches and batteries are readily available. If your building has fuses, keep spares in case any blow when power is restored.
Know Your Equipment : Some equipment will need to be switched off during a power outage and back on when power is restored; list what equipment this is and ensure you know how to safely operate it.
Have a Backup Plan in Place : Every business should have a backup plan that can be put into operation in the event of a power outage. Employees should be made well aware of this plan and their responsibilities during an outage.
- Regularly test backup generators, emergency lighting systems,and security and fire protection systems.
- Have emergency kits in easy-to-access locations.
- Have a list of emergency contacts readily available – including the number of the generator hire company.
In a Power Outage
In the event of a power outage, take the following steps:
- Determine whether the outage is limited to your building or affecting the entire street/neighbourhood.
- Put your backup plan into action
- Contact the National Grid to alert them of the problem.
- Turn off all electrical equipment, particularly those that generate heat.
- When power is restored, reconnect essential equipment first, followed by other equipment after a period of 10-minutes. Switching everything on at once may overload the system.
Apex Power Solutions is a specialist supplier of hire generators and diesel generator sets, providing stand-by power solutions to a wide range of industries.